South Korean stocks closed up for a fourth consecutive day Friday, while traders stayed cautious ahead of key US employment data due later in the day. The local currency rose against the greenback.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index inched up 4.29 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 3,205.12.
Trade volume was moderate at 302.4 million shares worth 9.3 trillion won ($6.7 billion). Winners outnumbered losers 449 to 403.
Institutional investors were net buyers, purchasing 132.6 billion won. Foreigners offloaded a net 156.5 billion won, and retail investors sold a net 56 billion won.
The KOSPI opened higher following advances on Wall Street, as tepid private-sector hirings in the United States boosted hopes for a September rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
Investors are also paying attention to the August US job report set for release tonight, Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst from Daishin Securities, said.
"Any figure that suggests a further freezing of the labor market could raise concerns of a US recession," Lee added.
Large-cap shares ended mixed, with semiconductors and financial shares among the winners.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.86 percent to 69,500 won, while its rival SK hynix advanced 3.01 percent to 273,500 won.
KB Financial Group inched up 0.09 percent to 108,600 won, while defense giant Hanwha Aerospace declined 1.18 percent to 920,000 won.
Hyundai Motor shed 0.68 percent to 220,000 won after reports that hundreds of employees at its factory in Georgia were detained by US immigration authorities as part of a raid into undocumented individuals at workplaces.
CJ closed up 6.1 percent to 175,600 won on reports that the holding company is pushing to acquire CJ Olive Young, its cosmetics products retailer. CJ officially denied such reports.
The Korean won had been quoted at 1,392.5 won against the US dollar as of 3:30 p.m., up 1.5 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
